A widespread cyclospora outbreak has impacted at least 1,645 people in the U.S., hospitalizing 141, with ongoing investigations into multiple illness clusters. Federal health officials, including the FDA's acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas, confirm new cases associated with the outbreak are still emerging. The FDA is investigating five separate clusters of illnesses, although cyclospora is notoriously difficult to trace due to challenges in testing and the time lag between exposure and symptom onset. Food safety investigators often face hurdles in drawing direct biological connections between recalled produce and outbreaks because common tests are not always geared to detect cyclospora.
The outbreak has been primarily linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms facility in central Mexico. RFK Jr. stated the outbreak is "under control" and identified Taylor Farms as the source, despite Mexico's health secretary, David Kershenobich, casting doubt on the link. Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled all iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico, and ceased sourcing it for the rest of the growing season. The recalled product was supplied to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, as well as selected Walmart locations under the Marketside brand. However, no samples from the Taylor Farms facility in Mexico have tested positive for cyclospora, and a previous positive result was retracted by the FDA.
Michigan has been particularly hard hit, reporting 6,571 cases, and Ohio nearly 2,029, with many Michigan patients reporting consumption of iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell. The CDC's count of 1,644 cases from May 13 to July 13 is expected to rise significantly, as states like Michigan and Ohio report much higher numbers, and another 5,100 cases are under investigation. Fast-food chains linked to the outbreak have seen significant drops in foot traffic: Taco Bell experienced an 18.9% decline, Chopt a 14.3% drop, while Chipotle and Panera Bread saw nearly 7% decreases, and Cava a 4.2% drop. Taylor Farms, a major corporate entity with 25,000 employees and $6 billion in revenue, supplies a wide range of customers including Walmart, Costco, Target, Whole Foods, McDonald's, and Sysco.
